Surgical pathology level 5 gross & microscopic examination at Sanford Aberdeen Medical Center

2905 3rd Ave SE, Aberdeen, SD · Sanford Health · · NPI 1235406455

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Mar 4, 2026 · Ingested Aug 12, 2026

$558.40

Cash price

?

Discounted cash price

What a hospital charges a self-pay patient who pays directly, without going through insurance — usually well below the gross charge.

Example: A CT scan has a $3,200 gross charge but an $850 discounted cash price. Ask for it by name when scheduling — hospitals don't always advertise it up front.

Full explanation →

What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

$698.00

Gross charge

?

Gross charge (chargemaster price)

The hospital's full, undiscounted list price — pulled from its internal "chargemaster" price list. Almost no one actually pays this.

Example: A chest X-ray has a gross charge of $1,450. The same hospital's discounted cash price for the same X-ray is $180 — the gross charge mostly anchors negotiations, not what patients pay.

Full explanation →

The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.

$309.56 with Sanford Health Plan vs $641.46 with Medica — same scan, same building. Share

Negotiated rates by payer
?

Negotiated rate

The price a specific insurance plan agreed to pay the hospital for a service — it varies by insurer, and even by plan within the same insurer.

Example: The same knee MRI has a negotiated rate of $904 with one insurer's PPO plan and $1,509 with another's — identical hospital, identical scan.

Full explanation →

Payer
?

Payer

The insurance company footing the bill — Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Medicare, and so on.

Example: "Blue Cross Blue Shield" is the payer. Its negotiated rate for an MRI might be $904, while a different payer's negotiated rate for the same scan is $1,509.

Full explanation →
Plan
?

Plan

The specific product an insurer sells — e.g. "Blue Cross PPO 500" — which sets your deductible, coinsurance and negotiated rates.

Example: Two people both insured by Aetna can owe very different amounts for the same MRI: $50 with an HMO plan's flat copay, or the full $1,200 toward a high-deductible PPO plan's unmet deductible.

Full explanation →
Negotiated rate vs. cash
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $309.56 ↓ -45%
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $341.73 ↓ -39%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $352.98 ↓ -37%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $364.15 ↓ -35%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $366.91 ↓ -34%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $370.51 ↓ -34%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Medicare Replacement $370.51 ↓ -34%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $370.51 ↓ -34%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $370.51 ↓ -34%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $370.51 ↓ -34%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $377.71 ↓ -32%
Security Health Plan Commercial $383.90 ↓ -31%
Health Partners State Employees $386.69 ↓ -31%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial $415.24 ↓ -26%
Health Partners Commercial $439.74 ↓ -21%
Ucare Commercial $545.14 ↓ -2%
Aetna Commercial $572.36 ↑ +3%
United Healthcare Commercial + Top 20 $582.83 ↑ +4%
Medica Choice $599.58 ↑ +7%
Multiplan Commercial $628.20 ↑ +13%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $628.20 ↑ +13%
Healthez Commercial $628.20 ↑ +13%
Medica Elect $641.46 ↑ +15%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Commercial not published by hospital —
Wellmark HMO not published by hospital —

Visitor-reported prices

visitor-reported
Report what you paid sign in to post

Comments

Add a comment sign in to post

Surgical pathology level 5 gross & microscopic examination at other South-dakota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center Clear Lake $576.80 $369.87 – $648.90
Sanford USD Medical Center Sioux Falls $700.80 $159.32 – $788.40
Sanford Hospital Webster Webster $588.00 $230.79 – $661.50
Sanford Chamberlain Medical Center Chamberlain $555.20 $237.35 – $624.60
Sanford Canton Inwood Medical Center Canton $680.00 $290.70 – $765.00
Sanford Vermillion Hospital Vermillion $677.60 $249.87 – $762.30

All South-dakota hospitals for this procedure →